


Warmth

by The13thBlackCat



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, Extended Scene, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, Making Out, Romance, boys smooching on mountains, sickeningly cute shit honestly, with just a touch of steaminess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-22
Updated: 2019-06-22
Packaged: 2020-05-16 10:25:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,084
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19316287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The13thBlackCat/pseuds/The13thBlackCat
Summary: Stardew Valley winters can get pretty chilly, but there are ways to warm up, with a little help.Just me gettin' feelsy about Local Sad Boy and exploring what may or may not have occurred on that mountain after the camera panned away. Everyone keeps their pants on, but just barely.





	Warmth

   Ashley had been living in Stardew Valley for almost a year, and as glad as he was that he’d chosen to take the leap of moving, he was beginning to regret some things.

   Mostly, that he’d taken up _farming_ in a town where the winters were _ass-bitingly cold_.

   He huffed out a foggy breath, stifling a yawn as he took a left from the dilapidated community center, towards the mountains. It could have been worse, really; at least nothing much grew in winter, so even _if_ he had to spend more time outdoors than he liked, it was mostly a matter of going from one heated building to another. Mostly. Still, a tiny part of him missed life before, when he’d been able to avoid going out in the cold throughout 99% of winter.

 _Oh well._ He had an ample supply of winter clothing—including the thick red sweater Emily had made for him at the end of autumn, which he was currently wearing—and winter was nearly over, now. He would probably miss the cold and free time soon—at least, by summer, he would. Probably. Maybe.

   Ashley shook his head, cupping his hands around his face and exhaling into them in an attempt to warm them as he took the shortcut that led past Robin and Demetrius’ house to the farm. It wasn’t too far, and soon he’d be able to cuddle up in a cozy bed with a cat to keep him company, and not have to think about the cold until tomorrow morning. He wished he’d brought Jo, but she was probably happily asleep in her warm stable right now; it hadn’t seemed necessary to bring her out, today. He’d have already been home by now if he had, though…

   The sound of an engine revving distracted him and he looked up in surprise, blinking. Sebastian had pulled his bike out of the garage and had just coaxed the engine to life. Before he could leave, Ashley broke into a jog, calling, “Hey!”

   Sebastian looked up in surprise, though he broke into a soft smile when he realized who had called out to him. “Oh, hi Ashley. What are you doing out so late?”

   “Heading home,” Ashley answered, gesturing briefly to the path that led off into the mountains, towards his farm. He stuffed his hands under his arms a second later, though, hugging himself as he looked Sebastian over; he was dressed for the weather, like he had plans.

   “Going somewhere?” He wasn’t surprised; Sebastian was a night owl by nature, so the fact that it was dark and most people would be heading home meant nothing. If anything, it made it _more_ likely for Sebastian to be out and about; he didn’t like to be surrounded by people, after all.

   “Yeah, I…” Sebastian hesitated, reaching up to ruffle his hair with a gloved hand. “Hey. I know you said you were going home, but, um…”

   Ashley cocked his head, his desire to get home and crawl into a warm bed until morning instantly forgotten. “Yeah?”

   Sebastian cleared his throat, using the motion as an excuse to avoid looking directly at Ashley. “You wanna come with? I mean, it can wait, if you want, but—“

   “Sure,” Ashley cut him off, before he could finish. Sebastian blinked in surprise at that, and he added, “Though…where are we going?”

   “Oh…it’s a secret.” Even in the dark, Ashley caught a mischievous sparkle in Sebastian’s dark eyes, before he gestured to his bike. “I…wanted to show you something. Hop on.”

   Immediately intrigued, Ashley moved to do as he asked, wrapping his arms around Sebastian’s middle. Unfortunately, his leather jacket did a good job of keeping his body heat in, but he was still firm and solid in Ashley’s arms, even if having to sit pressed up against Sebastian’s back _did_ make him flush a bit.

   He let out a little yelp of surprise when the bike moved, then broke into nervous giggles against Sebastian’s back; the other man glanced back at him for a second, grinning.

   Ashley was at least thankful Sebastian got the brunt of the wind, and tried not to shiver too much, or cling to him too tightly. Aside from the cold, the trip was kind of nice; it was quiet out, and dark, and everything seemed softer, more secret.

   He was surprised to realize he’d dozed off with his head against Sebastian’s back—or he must have, anyway, because when they came to a stop it startled him awake. Stifling a yawn and trying very hard not to _look_ like he’d fallen asleep, Ashley sat back a little so Sebastian could pull away from him, before he looked up to see where they’d stopped.

   They were on a mountain cliff overlooking an ocean of black. In the distance, lights glittered like stars, and blocky shapes rose from the horizon, barely distinguishable against the night sky. It took Ashley a second to wake up enough to realize what he was looking at: a city, far away.

   “Hey.”

   He blinked, shaking his head when Sebastian spoke up. Flushing, Ashley scrambled to join him at the cliff’s edge, sitting down next to him. He didn’t dangle his legs over the edge like Sebastian, though, instead folding them under him.

   Sebastian nodded to the distant city. “Zuzu City,” he said in explanation. “I like to come out here sometimes, when I need to just get away from everyone and just…think, you know?”

   Ashley nodded lightly. “I can see why. It’s quiet out here.” He paused for a moment, just looking out at the view: everything else in shadow, except for the stars above, and the sparkling city in the distance.

   “It’s pretty,” he added, mostly to himself. “…but kind of…sad, too. And lonely.” Ashley frowned. “I guess that’s kind of weird of me to say, isn’t it?”

   To his surprise, Sebastian glanced at him, and broke into a genuine smile, though he glanced away a moment later, almost sheepishly. “No, I…that’s kind of what I think, too.” He busied himself with rummaging around in his pockets, until he produced a cigarette and a lighter from one of them.

   Ashley only glanced at him briefly as he lit it, before turning his attention away. He knew Sebastian was awkward at best, and didn’t like having attention drawn to the fact, no matter how cute it could be. He smelled rather than saw the puff of smoke when Sebastian exhaled, and for a second, he considered saying something…but decided against it. Sebastian had probably already heard it all before, and he didn’t want to ruin the moment by annoying him.

   “…you know, it’s weird,” Sebastian said after a few seconds of silence, “but at the beginning of this year, I was pretty sure I had things planned out. Once I had the money saved up, I was going to move out there, and get away from this small town.” He gestured loosely to the city. Ashley cocked his head—he knew this, more or less, because they’d discussed it briefly, but he didn’t point that out, allowing Sebastian to continue.

   “But now…I dunno. The more I think about it lately, the more I realize I’m happier here. I mean, I’d miss Sam, and Abby…and Mom, too. Maybe even Maru and Demetrius.” He snorted softly at the last part, almost a laugh. “But, I already knew that, and I was…I don’t know, prepared, I guess, for it. But…” He trailed off, quiet for a second, then said finally, “A lot can change in a year, I guess.”

   Ashley nodded absently to himself, staring at Zuzu City. “…yeah. A whole lot.” A year ago, he and Sebastian were probably very much alike: stuck somewhere they weren’t happy, stagnating, with no easy way out. He’d remembered his grandfather’s letter, and that had changed everything for him. He wondered what had changed things for Sebastian—maybe not as dramatically as picking up and moving to a small town with almost no warning, admittedly, but…even so. He’d gotten the impression that Sebastian had been working on his “plan” for more than a year or two, so his mind changing in such a short time was still a _little_ dramatic, even if he hadn’t done anything as drastic as Ashley had.

   He cocked his head to look at Sebastian, who seemed to be elsewhere. He tried to ignore the nervous tightness in his chest when he spoke. “So, you’re going to stay here, then?” He hoped so. He liked Sebastian, _a lot_ ; to say he hadn’t been thrilled to realize Sebastian was planning to leave Pelican Town was a bit of a understatement, and hoping was…kind of scary.

   “Mm.” Sebastian exhaled a cloud of smoke, his gaze drifting skyward. Finally, he looked down, breaking into a little smile that seemed shy. “…yeah, I think so. For now, anyway. Still gotta figure some things out, but…I’ve got a couple reasons to hang around, now.”

   Ashley felt his cheeks warm against the cold of the night, and tried not to look too giddy or grin too widely as he looked away. “…that’s good,” he answered, and it sounded silly even to him. _Ask what reasons, idiot,_ he told himself, but the moment had passed, and even if he did, it would _not_ have been as smooth now. _Dammit._ “I’d miss you if you did leave.” _Ugh, you are **so bad** at this._

   Sebastian made a short sound, like a laugh, and Ashley glanced up, his face going hot. He wasn’t laughing _at_ him, though, which he realized as Sebastian stubbed his cigarette out in the dirt next to him. “…yeah. I’d miss you too.” His hands unoccupied, he tangled his fingers together, like he wasn’t sure what to do with them now. He didn’t look at Ashley when he continued, “Ashley, I…” He took a breath. “I don’t usually bring other people here. Or…ever, actually. I, um…”

   Sebastian took another breath, then let it out in a sigh. He shifted, half-turning towards Ashley, though he still avoided looking directly at his face. “Okay, so I’m not great at this.” He gestured vaguely to the space between them in a short, nervous motion. “This is all…kinda new, for me. What I wanted to say was…” He looked up finally, taking a breath and straightening. His voice had softened, like he was sharing a secret. “…I’ve never…felt like this, about another guy.” Almost absent-mindedly, his hand came up to touch the edge of Ashley’s jaw, very lightly. Ashley shivered briefly, and told himself it was just the cold.

   “…you know what I mean?” Sebastian ducked his head a little, pulling his lower lip between his teeth briefly, and Ashley swallowed, his heart pounding. He broke into a little nervous grin, reaching up to close his hand around Sebastian’s.

   “…I think I have an idea.”

   Sebastian broke into a brief grin at that, before moving. Ashley only managed to huff out a little breath of surprise before Sebastian kissed him: soft and light, just a brief peck that left Ashley’s lips tingling when he pulled away.

   Ashley choked back a giddy giggle, reaching up to pull Sebastian back to kiss him again, a little more firmly. Sebastian broke into a grin against his lips before returning the kiss, shifting to pull Ashley closer to him and sliding a hand into his hair. He’d let it grow out during autumn and winter, and when Sebastian pulled back, he let his hand slide through the rosy locks.

   “I like your hair long,” he mumbled, half to himself, and Ashley laughed softly.

   “Yeah?”

   “Yeah,” Sebastian answered, “it’s cute. It looks good on you.” He rubbed his nose against Ashley’s briefly, then kissed him again.

   “Maybe I won’t cut it for spring, then,” Ashley answered, and Sebastian snorted.

   “You can’t. You’ll be too busy, right?” He bumped his nose against Ashley’s cheek, then pressed a kiss there when he turned his head with a short laugh.

   “Says who?”

   “Y’gotta…farm, and stuff,” Sebastian answered, his voice muffled as he pressed kisses against Ashley’s skin. Ashley shivered, and he didn’t think it had much to do with the cold anymore.

   “You don’t know anything about farming, you nerd,” he pointed out flatly, grinning, and Sebastian snorted, his breath hot against Ashley’s chilled skin. He didn’t answer aloud, though, just raising his head to kiss him again, firm and open-mouthed. He’d shifted so he didn’t have to lean on his hands, leaving them free to go to Ashley’s waist. Ashley huffed against Sebastian’s face, his arms going around his neck and his hands tangling in the other man’s dark hair.

   Sebastian pulled back with a little huff. “Your hands are cold,” he mumbled, and Ashley laughed.

   “My _everything_ is cold,” he retorted, but he couldn’t resist the urge to slide his hands down the back of Sebastian’s neck, pushing them under the collar of his jacket.

   Sebastian shivered and jerked, huffing again, more irritably; but before Ashley could think he was actually annoyed, he kissed him again, this time nipping at his lip sharply.

   “ _Rude,_ ” he hissed against Ashley’s skin, and Ashley grinned in response.

   “Sorry, Sebby,” he murmured, “you’re warm, and I’m not.” He withdrew his hands— _reluctantly,_ because Sebastian _was_ warm, and his uncovered hands were _very not warm_ —and clasped them behind his neck instead, and Sebastian huffed again, softer, squeezing Ashley’s waist briefly.

   “One way to fix that,” he said, but before Ashley could process the words he shifted to move him, pulling Ashley into his lap and kissing him again, pulling Ashley close to him.

   Ashley made a muffled noise into Sebastian’s mouth, trying to ignore the heat that rose to his cheeks at the change in position—though he couldn’t help but note that, well, it _had_ warmed him up, a bit, even if only because he was probably blushing like an idiot now. Sebastian’s hands had moved to his hips, and after a second they slipped under his sweater.

   “Mmph!” Ashley pulled back for a moment at the touch of cool leather on his skin. “Cold!” Sebastian just laughed, kissing his chin.

   “Give it a moment, they’ll warm up,” he answered with a cheeky grin, before pressing another kiss to Ashley’s jaw, then nuzzling into his throat. That part of him was mostly-warm despite not being covered by clothing, and Ashley huffed in protest when Sebastian’s cold nose pressed against his skin, trying—weakly—to squirm free.

   “Se _bastian!_ ”

   Sebastian laughed again, in a way that made Ashley bite his lip, his hands gripping Ashley’s hips firmly to keep him in place as he tried to wriggle free. Ashley huffed again, only to have Sebastian look up with a grin before kissing him again to silence any further protests.

   He was right about one thing, anyway—his gloves had warmed up with Ashley’s body heat, so without the distraction of them being _cold_ , Ashley had no excuse to not notice his hands now: the way they squeezed his hips playfully, or how they strayed up under his sweater, leather against bare skin as Sebastian let his hands wander a bit. Ashley didn’t stop him, and when he huffed again, it wasn’t playful annoyance. His face was _hot_ and thinking was _hard._

   Sebastian hummed against him, one of his thumbs rubbing an exploratory circle against Ashley’s hipbone as he kissed his jaw again, lightly. The kissing was almost more annoying than anything, light and soft across his jaw and throat and just enough to distract him from Sebastian’s hands, so that he couldn’t _quite_ focus on what exactly they were doing, except that it was _something distracting,_ probably. Ashley made a mumbly noise in his throat, tangling his fingers into the soft warmth of Sebastian’s hair— _when had they gotten there?_ he wondered, briefly—and shifting his weight, trying to get comfortable. _That_ was a mistake, because Sebastian hummed softly against where he was currently nuzzling into Ashley’s neck again and moved his hands to take hold of his hips, pulling on them gently and _just barely_ shifting under Ashley so his thigh pushed up between his legs, just a little.

   “ _Seb_ ,” Ashley mumbled, very softly, trying not to squeeze his thighs around him and not entirely sure he was succeeding. Sebastian made a soft noise in his throat as he moved to kiss Ashley again, firm and breathless. He moved him again, without so much as a warning, this time half-tugging Ashley off him and pushing him over onto his back. Ashley huffed out a short breath when his back hit the stone of the cliff under them, and he pulled away for a second to awkwardly shove a particularly jabby rock out from underneath himself, simultaneously pulling Sebastian back to kiss him again.

   Sebastian made a soft sound, muffled in his throat, brushing his hands up into Ashley’s hair and shifting his weight to straddle his leg as he kissed him. It was easier to ignore the chill, now, with Sebastian on top of him, and Ashley found himself fumbling at his waist, trying to work his hands under Sebastian’s jacket without actually unzipping the damn thing.

   Sebastian let out a short laugh against his lips when he briefly pulled away, fumbling one-handed at his jacket’s zipper as he kissed Ashley again. His hand didn’t go back into Ashley’s hair once he’d managed it, instead sliding up under his sweater again. With the body heat his jacket had trapped now free, Ashley couldn’t help but hum softly in appreciation, his hands pressing up against Sebastian’s torso. _Oooh. Nice._

   It didn’t take him long to fumble his way under his clothing, though—Sebastian was also wearing a sweater under his jacket, but a much lighter black one—and Ashley let out another hum of appreciation as he did. It wasn’t just the heat, this time, but everything else too, the skin-against-skin contact— _he was briefly thankful **he** wasn’t wearing gloves_—and the tantalizing prospect of getting to find out _something_ of what Sebastian was hiding under all his damn clothing.

   Ashley realized he’d started nuzzling into Sebastian’s neck at some point, and he huffed out a quiet breath against him, sliding his hands across Sebastian’s torso and pressing a kiss to his neck. Sebastian made a soft noise in response, moving into Ashley’s touch and briefly catching his earlobe between his teeth; Ashley sucked in a sharp breath, unintentionally jerking, and Sebastian hummed against him, pleased and thoughtful. He did it again before Ashley could stop him, this time following it up with a little swipe of his tongue and a hot breath against his ear.

   Ashley _whined_ in his throat, his nails digging into Sebastian’s skin briefly, and Sebastian let out a short, stupidly _sexy_ laugh against him.

   Ashley’s hands went to Sebastian’s hips and he started to push him off—more for show than because he meant it—but Sebastian caught hold of his chin suddenly, jerking his head to the side so he had unrestricted access to him and catching hold of Ashley’s earlobe again, this time in a sharp bite that made Ashley yip in response and turn to jelly under him. He swept his tongue across the place he’d bitten, purposely exhaling a huff of air against his ear before he moved to drag the tip of his tongue along the curve of Ashley’s ear. He took advantage of the slight shift in position to press his hips down against Ashley’s hipbone, and the combination was almost enough to short-circuit his brain.

 _Oh. He’s… **oh.**_ He wasn’t fully hard, not yet, but there was enough there to make it impossible to think of anything else. Ashley was so caught up in his thoughts he didn’t catch himself when Sebastian’s attention forced a low moan from his throat, and when he _did_ realize, he was keenly aware of how hot his face had gone.

 _Oh geez._ This was getting out of hand quickly. Ashley wasn’t even sure if that was a bad thing.

   He fumbled for Sebastian’s face, pulling him back into a kiss to distract him. It worked, but not particularly well; this kiss was hard and hot and breathless and needy, and it didn’t particularly help things at all, especially when Sebastian’s thigh shifted up between Ashley’s legs and he found himself arching his back to press his hips into it, because he wanted just a _little, **just—**_

   “Mmph. Seb.” Ashley pulled back, a little, his voice a mumble against Sebastian’s lips. Sebastian hummed questioningly, kissing him again, but pulled back before Ashley could.

   “Y’wanna stop?” His voice sounded distracted, and when he nibbled lightly at Ashley’s lip it did _nothing_ to help matters. Ashley huffed against his face, trying to focus.

   “I…no…I…” He took a breath, then let it out in a rush. “I don’t _want_ to, but it’s _fucking cold, Sebastian._ ”

   Sebastian pulled back, blinking for a second—then broke out laughing, his forehead bumping against Ashley. Once it had subsided, he was still grinning, a little sheepish.

   “Yeah, working on that part,” he answered, but giggled again when Ashley scowled and swatted him.

   “Absolutely not, sir,” Ashley snapped back, doing his best to seem offended and _not_ like he was trying to fight off how contagious Sebastian’s giggling was. _He had no right being so cute._ “You should have thought of that before dragging me up a mountain in the middle of winter. _At night._ ”

   Sebastian just laughed again, then kissed him in answer. It was short, this time, and he rubbed his nose against Ashley’s when he pulled back. “Wasn’t really planning for this,” he answered, with a grin that was somehow both cheeky and apologetic. He kissed him again, then cleared his throat and sat back to zip up his jacket. Ashley briefly regretted it, but then Sebastian offered him a hand, pulling Ashley to his feet as he stood. He didn’t let go, bumping his forehead against Ashley’s gently.

   “Come on, I’ll take you home. No reason to make you walk from the house.” He pressed a soft kiss to Ashley’s lips, squeezing his hand briefly before leading him back towards his bike.

   Ashley spent most of the ride back trying not to think too hard and attempting to keep his hips from pressing into Sebastian too much, suddenly awkward about the whole stupid thing now that they weren’t currently in the middle of making out. Sebastian didn’t seem to notice, anyway, though Ashley wasn’t sure if that meant he was successful, or if it was just because he was concentrating on driving. Either way, Sebastian pulled up in front of his house entirely too soon, coming to a stop only a few feet from the front door.

   “Thanks,” Ashley said. Impulsively, he pressed a kiss to the back of Sebastian’s neck before getting off the bike. “For everything.”

   “Hey.” Sebastian caught his arm before he could get far, pulling him back. He leaned over to press a kiss to Ashley’s lips; soft and sweet, but it held a promise of _more_ that made Ashley’s head feel all fuzzy and stupid.

   “We’ll catch up later, yeah?” He was smiling, playful and mischievous, and Ashley had to swallow hard. “Somewhere warmer.”

   “Y…yeah.” He took a breath, trying to salvage the situation. “Yeah. Definitely.” Ashley exhaled shortly, then pressed his forehead to Sebastian’s, meeting his eyes. “Be careful going home, okay? Mountains at night in winter, you know.”

   Sebastian laughed, kissed him again, then gently pushed him back. “Don’t worry, it’s not that far.” He smiled, soft and shy. “But I will.”

   “Promise?” Ashley prompted, mostly because it was _any_ excuse to keep him there a bit longer, even though it was late, and he had to get up early, and he shouldn’t being looking for excuses to drag this out…

   “Promise,” Sebastian answered. He blew Ashley a kiss, waved, and like that, he was gone.

   Ashley stayed where he was until the lights from Sebastian’s bike had disappeared around a curve. He let out a short huff, turning to head for the door, his brain a pleasantly fuzzy mess. Distantly, he knew he needed to settle down, to worry about getting to sleep so he could wake up at a decent hour tomorrow, but that was all _later_ stuff.

   He barely even noticed the cold.


End file.
